Smita Singh

Smita Singh sits on the governing boards of the Center for Global Development and Oxfam America. She previously served as interim chair of NRGI’s governing board, chair of Oxfam’s board and chief strategy officer at the Open Society Foundations. She was also formerly a member of both the U.S. President’s Global Development Council under President Barack Obama and the Aspen Strategy Group. 

Singh contributes to NRGI insights garnered from these positions as well as her time as founding director of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation’s Global Development Program, where she helped create the International Initiative in Impact Evaluation, the Partnership for Quality Education in Developing Countries, the Think Tank Initiative and the Transparency and Accountability Initiative. In tandem, she launched the foundation’s efforts to reform development assistance policy and practices, including the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network and the International Aid Transparency Initiative. 

Singh has lived and worked in several countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Born in Dehradun, India, Singh received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and her master’s degree from Harvard University; she was also a scholar at the Harvard Academy of International and Area Studies. Her other professional experience includes being the first higher education program officer for the Commission on National and Community Service, where she helped develop the Commission’s higher education initiatives and create AmeriCorps; at ABC News’ Nightline; and with community-based women’s organizations in India. Past commitments include terms as the vice-chair of the International Budget Partnership and the chair of Twaweza.